


Ballerina

by AgentLin



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-01-26 18:29:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12563516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentLin/pseuds/AgentLin
Summary: The fact that you danced around in the rec room didn’t make you look sane at all. You did want to escape but then something happened to change your mind. A certain someone was locked away, Jerome Valeska. He caught your eye immediately. His beautiful eyes, his beautiful hair, his personality. You figured you’d always be alone, you felt like you had everything, but now you wanted him.Despite your abilities, you were so afraid to talk to him. You wanted him, and that desire was like a dream you didn’t want to fulfill. What if he didn’t want you, that would only hurt, but you wouldn’t be able to kill him. So it was safer to just want him from afar. To dance in the rec room and let your eyes gaze upon.Sometimes you thought he looked back at you, sometimes you were sure he stared at you. You did want out, go breathe some fresh air, but Jerome was locked in Arkham and you wanted to be with him. It was still a fantasy of course, but one day you got lucky.





	1. Chapter 1

Honestly, you were on a good path. Despite starting at the bottom in life you worked your way up. You had academic excellence which got you out of public schools and into private ones. You got scholarships and graduated college with honors and a masters. Life was good, but Gotham was still your home, and everything pretty ended up dirty.

You were on your way to get out of the city. As a doctor, with impressive knowledge in all medical fields, you could have had a job anywhere in the world. That was so close of being real until a bag was put over your head. It should have been obvious that one day you’d get kidnapped. A medical genius, if you wanted you could be a private doctor.

When the bag finally came off you were in some house. You didn’t care to remember who but it was clear whoever had you kidnapped was a man of power. Although when you met them you could say otherwise. This crime lord was injured, badly, and for someone like him a hospital couldn’t be trusted. So it was your job to fix them, and refusing wasn’t an option when there was a gun to the back of your head.

Despite these people being rather intimidating you worked with no issues. Your hands remained perfectly still as you sewed up some wounds. The crime lord was rather satisfied with your work, meaning he was gonna keep you. Thus begins the year in captivity. It wasn’t a living hell but it sure was lonely. You were kept locked up in a room, no windows, but you were relatively well fed.

It sucked to not have a clock either, it felt more like you were drifting in life. The only times you were ever taken out of the room was when that crime lord or some of his men were injured and needed medical assistance. One time, who knows when, you snapped and attacked one of your patients. Such actions resulted in his death and you were punished for that.

Those injuries healed, accept you had a scar under your right eye. No more incidents occurred after that. You figured they’d kill you but you were too valuable despite rebelling. More time passed until one day you heard gunfire from outside. You hid under the bed, waiting for everything to pass. Fear grew strong when someone entered the room and you were soon dragged out.

You thought this was truly the end. These other people tied you up and bagged you. They didn’t take you far but they tied you down to a chair. In maybe an hour or so the bag was removed. Another bigger man sat before you. At the time you didn’t know who he was but you soon discovered he was Don Falcone. He didn’t want to hurt you, he had his men untie you and the two of you talked.

You told him about what happened and how you were a doctor. He seemed interested in your abilities and made you an offer. He wanted you to be his personal doctor. He would pay you well, keep you safe, and have you in a nice home. You were still a little shy so he did well to make you less afraid. 

After talking with you he took you out. It was rather obvious you hadn’t had a good meal in a while so he took you to eat. It was a nice place downtown and you definitely ate a lot. For dessert you had some hot chocolate. It became your favorite and you ultimately took the offer. You ended up in a nice apartment and you had everything. Whenever it was needed you were called upon. Maybe not always to help Falcone, but every time you were called there was a warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for you from that same place.

Life was good but working for Gotham’s criminal underworld, it messes with your head. There were many occasions where Falcone had you patch up some guys he wanted to interrogate. You felt like you owed the man a lot so one day, you stabbed someone in the shoulder. You knew what nerves to hit and he sang like a bird. The other men there didn’t really stop you, but they did report you.

After that it seemed your medical skills were also good for torture. Now you had a new use for Falcone and you went with it. It wasn’t healthy but it was fun. Everything was fun but reality hit you back a bit when Falcone left. From there whoever was running the underworld, it wasn’t really known. And with that gone, you left the scene too.

You found yourself a new place and laid low in Gotham. It may not be a nice place but it was still home. You did still offer your services, becoming a sort of mercenary. Things went well from there but of course sometimes mistakes were made. Word got around about how dangerous you were and a trap was set for you. You ended up in Arkham. 

It was only natural to end up in such a place. It was rather dull but plans of escape were very hard. Not that the place is super secure but Dr. Strange kept you on heavy meds. There was a reason why he did that but you could never really remember. Since you weren’t thinking straight you fit well with the other crazy people. 

The fact that you danced around in the rec room didn’t make you look sane at all. You did want to escape but then something happened to change your mind. A certain someone was locked away, Jerome Valeska. He caught your eye immediately. His beautiful eyes, his beautiful hair, his personality. You figured you’d always be alone, you felt like you had everything, but now you wanted him.

Despite your abilities, you were so afraid to talk to him. You wanted him, and that desire was like a dream you didn’t want to fulfill. What if he didn’t want you, that would only hurt, but you wouldn’t be able to kill him. So it was safer to just want him from afar. To dance in the rec room and let your eyes gaze upon.

Sometimes you thought he looked back at you, sometimes you were sure he stared at you. You did want out, go breathe some fresh air, but Jerome was locked in Arkham and you wanted to be with him. It was still a fantasy of course, but one day you got lucky.

You found yourself wandering the halls of the asylum, unsure of where you have been. It was all a haze, but when you rounded a corner you bumped into the one and only Jerome Valeska. You stared at him in awe, eyes wide open and dropped jaw. You gave him a goofy smile, your breath quickening.

“Hi…”

“Well aren’t you a pretty little thing.” He gently touched your cheek and you felt a shiver down your spine. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Ha...have you now…” You blushed. “I hope-”

He moved his hand and gently rubbed his thumb against your bottom lip. Your heart skipped a beat, holy shit he was touching you.

“Let’s just say a little bird told me about you. A mercenary huh?”

“I-”

“Sh, no need to talk. I like your dancing, you move like a ballerina.” He smiled down at you. “I like watching you dance. You watch me too don’t you?”

“I do…”

“Do you dance for me?”

“Yes..”

“Do you like me?”

“Yes…”

“Would you anything for me, love?”

“Yes…” 

You closed your eyes when he called you love, was this even real. When that thought entered your mind you began to worry. Could this all be some sort of lucid dream, were you drugged up again.

“You’re a clever girl, you could break out of this place right?”

“Yes…”

“So why haven’t you?”

“Because...you’re here.”

“Is that so, well then how about we break out, together.” He kissed you and it became clear, this was real. “Could you do that.”

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Although you never gave me your name.”

“Y/n.”

“Well, y/n, come up with a plan and let's get out of here.”

“I will, I promise.”

“Once we’re out, I promise I’ll reward you well.”

His hands trailed down your sides and gripped your hips, pulling you close. You felt his crotch pressed against you and you froze.

“I...I…”

“Sh, you know what you’ll get.” 

He pressed a kiss to your cheek and walked away. You stayed there, frozen in place as your brain processed what just happened. You grabbed your cheek, smiling like crazy. Jerome liked you, a lot. Well maybe he was just using you but after what he did, you were fine being used.

Sadly that interaction was for nothing. A few days later someone broke into Arkham and took some of the prisoners. Jerome was gone and you were left alone in the asylum once again. Although you still planned to get out, it was a chance to find out the truth. If you broke out and found him then you’d know if he really cared. If it was all a lie, at least you could stop dreaming about it.

It really wasn’t that hard to get out of Arkham, at least not with your set of skills. Once you were out you laid low, doubt Strange would report you missing, it would be pointless. Being out in Gotham was quiet nice, you took a day to enjoy the freedom before looking into Jerome. He seemed to be leading this group known as the Maniax, cute.

The GCPD was rather ridiculous, as it only took you a few hours to find him. Of course the cops probably didn’t go around beating up thugs for information. The building he was in was heavily secured, it wasn’t a problem for you although you felt the need to question why he was there.

When you got to the big room he was in you swung the doors open. Some of the other criminals that were broken out as well were also there. Your hands were over your head and you had a huge smile on your face. Everyone was staring.

“Jerome!”

Another guard came over and you quickly stabbed him in the throat. Jerome was in a red robe staring back at you. You ran over to him and hugged him tight, snuggling up to him.

“Gosh I missed you!”

“I think we need better security.” Said the woman dressed in black, holding a whip.

“Oh don’t worry I just came here to see-”

You were cut off by a kiss. Jerome was kissing you deeply and you closed your eyes. You still wasn’t sure if he meant his feelings, but you’d take the kiss. He gently pulled away, panting and looking into your eyes.

“You broke out of Arkham for me?” He asked.

“Yeah...I wanted to join you on the outside.”

He brushed back a strand of loose hair. “Impressive.” He turned to the others. “Tabitha, this is y/n, the person I was telling you about. Mercenary and torture extraordinaire.”

“Is she, got out of Arkham all on her own, my brother can find a use for you.”

You ended up a part of the Maniax. It was a fun experience and all the more enjoyable with Jerome at your side. But once again things didn’t work out. During that Gala as the magic show went on Gallavan killed Jerome. Barbara fled like a coward but you stayed, paralyzed in horror and despair.

You held Jerome’s corpse in your arms, crying, not caring that the police would ultimately arrest you. You were separated from your love and take to the GCPD. You did accuse Gallavan of all the recent crimes but of course no one believed you, except for that Jim Gordon guy who seemed interested.

You didn’t get to talk to him as Doctor Strange himself came to collect you. No arguments from anyone and thus you were back at Arkham. This time it was different, you weren’t in the usual cell but some other prison. There was a lab and honestly, the weeks after that were a blur. Long story short you were sane.

Suddenly you were let out, Doctor Strange saying you were cured. Nothing was ever wrong but you didn’t question being let out. The only problem you had was figuring out where to go. When you were arrested your home was destroyed, money wasn’t an issue but what was there to do.

You were alone, Jerome was gone so it was just you. You’ve lived without him and you can do so again. It was time for a fresh start. You kept your bag close and walked back into Gotham with a plan in mind. You could make a good life on your own.


	2. Chapter 2

“What do we have Harvey?”

    As Jim walked into the GCPD he was told Harvey was in an interrogation. He hadn’t even gotten some coffee yet and he was already working. Another day in Gotham. When he walked towards the back Harvey stepped out of the interrogation room.

“It’s weird.”

“This is Gotham, weird is normal.”

“True. So this guy, Randal Makavoy, he came into the precinct about half an hour ago covered in blood. He was arrested on the spot and taken to the back. This guy is acting all nervous and saying it wasn’t his fault.”

“Harvey, to the point please.”

“He killed his wife. Cops at the scene of the crime found the body, and it’s bloody.”

“So Makavoy kills his wife and turns himself in? I get he’s saying it wasn’t his fault but maybe it’s just guilt and denial.”

“I thought the same thing, but he keeps saying someone else made him do it.”

“If that’s the case get the sketch artist and let’s get a description. He may be lying, he might not, so let’s find out.”

    Jim got the guy some water and went in to talk to him. He got a description of the person Makavoy blames, but other than that the guy was a mess. He was sobbing, the blood on his hands scaring him. With those actions it was hard for Jim to believe he truly meant to kill his wife. The only problem was how could someone make him kill a loved one.

    The description given created the face of a woman. When Harvey saw it he felt like he knew who it was but ultimately couldn’t remember. After talking, Makavoy was moved to a cell. That was a mistake. His grief drove him mad to the point of suicide. There was a possible case on their hands but the only witness was dead.

“Sorry about that. I know the guy seemed nuts, but I didn’t think he’d kill himself.”

“None of us did, the only question is whether he was telling the truth or not.”

“We’re gonna have to wait and see, but…” Harvey stared at the drawing. “I feel like I know this girl.”

“No one here recognized her either. So don’t feel too bad. If anything, we should go down to the crime scene and see if we can find any clues.”

“Right behind you.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    The two went to Makavoy’s house. He lived in an apartment complex, and his place was bloody. The wife was on the floor of the living room, chest cut open. Makavoy broke through skin and ribs to directly stab at her heart. Such dedication for a man who swears he was forced to kill his own wife.

    Blood was everywhere. Staining the furniture and floor, some even splattered on the walls. It was a horror show. The murder weapon was a kitchen knife, but all the evidence matched Makavoy, so there was no sign of another killer. It really seemed like a clear and cut murder but then Jim got a call.

    Lucius had been examining the body and found them a possible lead. When looking over his stuff he found a ticket stub to a club he had visited the night of his wife’s murder. A place known as the Alley Cats. Jim thanked him for the information.

“We got a lead Harv.”

“Woah, woah, woah, hold up partner. Where are we going?”

“This club called the Alley Cats, you know where it is right.”

“Yeah I do and we can’t go there.”

“What do you mean? We got a picture, we just go to the club and ask to see if anyone recognizes her.”

“See that’s the thing. The Alley Cats...it’s a very...complicated place.”

“Complicated? How?”

“Well for one it’s a dance club. No one really knows who owns it and the girls are very protective of each other. If any asshole mistreats one they’ll have hell to pay. If you and me go ask around for someone who might be one of their girls, we’ll be next.”

“We’re cops and this is a murder investigation.” Jim said.

“Yeah that doesn’t matter. Look whoever runs that place, they’re powerful and won’t give two shits who we are. We could be the mayor and still get our ass kicked for messing around that club.”

“So you're saying we need to figure out who she is without going to the Alley Cats.”

“Unless you wanna wind down and have a good time and just keep a look out for our suspect.”

“No, we’d get distracted.”

“Guess we’ll stay sober huh.”

“Yeah, let’s get back to the precinct and see if we can find something new. Surely they’ve found something.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    Jim was right. By the time they got back to the precinct Lucius was finishing up some tests. They had to wait a moment before they got results, and what they found was unexpected.

“You’re kidding Lucius.” Jim said.

“I wish I was, I ran a blood test five times. I originally looked out of curiosity and was shocked by what I found.”

“Just say it Lucius, cause I seriously can’t believe what you’re implying.” Harvey said.

“Randal Makavoy had traces of the Tetch virus in his blood. The way he was acting, talking about how someone else made him kill his wife. It reminded me about how the Tetch virus made people give into their darkest desires, but it’s different.”

“What is?” Jim asked.

“The virus. The original Tetch virus, once it affected a host the change was in a sense permanent until they got a cure. If that was the case here Makavoy wouldn’t feel guilt over killing his wife, yet he was. Further analysis revealed the virus to have similar effects but it was only temporary.”

“So what you’re telling me is that Makavoy was effected by this...second Tetch virus, and while under its influenced killed his wife. When the effects wore off he felt horrible and turned himself in.”

“Seems like the logical outcome of this. We should get a doctor to look at the two viruses, perhaps the cure can work for both, or we can produce a new one. Makavoy might have been a test subject to see how this new virus works, we should be prepared in case of an outbreak.” Lucius said.

“Understood, I’ll get right on it.”

    Lucius left the room, leaving Jim and Harvey to absorb the new information, but something else was on Harv’s mind.

“Harvey?”

“Doctor...hold on.”

    Harvey went to the records room and Jim followed. He began looking through the cabinets till he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a newspaper and pointed to the front cover. It was a picture of Don Falcone with multiple associates.

“What’s this?”

“Like over a year ago, Don Falcone made a huge donation to Gotham General. This picture was taken and look who’s on the cover.”

    He points to a girl standing behind Falcone, perfectly matching the description Makavoy gave before he passed. Jim grabbed the newspaper and looked closely.

“You’re right. She has the same scar under her right eye, but who is she.”

“Y/n, not many know about her, but one day she just appeared with Don Falcone. From what I know, she was some medical genius, owed Falcone or some shit. She healed up his men or tortured his enemies. After Falcone left Gotham she worked as a gun for hire, got caught and sent to Arkham. She was with the Maniax, the girl crying over Jerome.”

“That was her? How come we didn’t recognize her, or anyone here?”

“Well we didn’t arrest her, second she’s been out of crime since she was first caught, her work with the Maniax was small, and she was sent back to Arkham.”

“Is she still there?”

“No, she was declared sane and let out months ago, she’s been out of the social scene since then.”

“Except now we have reason to believe she’s created a new Tetch virus. With her medical background it seems like she’d be able to so.”

“We got a name and face.” Harvey said. “So now we just got to find her. Where do you want to go from here?”

“If she has this virus, we need to find her and fast. If she was once part of Gotham’s underworld, we may find answers with Penguin.”

“Of course, I’ll drive.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    They went to the Iceberg Lounge. It was early so the only people in there would be Penguin and his men. Jim and Harvey walked in, Penguin talking with Nygma, the two did have such a tight relationship.

“Jim, what a pleasant surprise.” Penguin said.

“Can’t say the same.” Nygma added.

“I don’t have much time Penguin.” Jim showed him the newspaper. “The girl behind Don Falcone, y/n, you know her?”

“Y/n, gosh, it’s been so long. Yes I know her. She worked for Don Falcone, on occasion doing some things for Fish. I do admit to asking for her services sometimes, we are friends after all.”

“Then you know where she is.”

“Maybe I do, but what’s it to you?”

“We think she may have another version of the Tetch virus. Remember the bomb that exploded in Gotham Station.”

“Yes, that horrible virus created chaos in Gotham.” Nygma said.

“Exactly, and it might be on the rise again, so we need to know where y/n is. Maybe she’s behind this or maybe she knows something.”

“I vouch for her innocence Jim. Despite her record she is a good person, but I see how this situation is beyond me. She has an apartment complex on the edge of the narrows. Seven stories high, and she lives on the third floor, room 3B. Be careful.” Penguin said.

“Thank you Penguin.”

“Here’s the address.” Nygma wrote on a piece of paper and handed it to Jim. “When Oswald says be careful he means it.”

“I know.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    The two left the club and went to the address given. The place seemed old and rundown on the outside but the inside was a different story. It seemed like a fine establishment, and at the time was quiet. The two made their way up to 3B and knocked on the door. Suddenly there was the sound of a gun cocking.

“You both need to leave, now.” A woman aimed her pistol at the detectives.

“Woah.” Jim put his hands up. “We’re not here to cause trouble, we just wanna talk.”

“I am well aware but I don’t give a crap who you are. She’s been working her ass of for the last week to make sure we’re all okay. I just got her to sleep four hours ago and don’t want anyone-”

“Maggie.” You opened your door and looked over. “Thanks for the concern but I’ll be okay. And you boys are?”

“Jim Gordon and Harvey Dent, GCPD.”

“Fucken cops.”

“Maggie, it’s okay, relax. Detectives, come in, Maggie if you’re so worried come in too but put the gun away.”

    You welcomed the detectives into your apartment and offered them coffee. They sat, and Maggie leaned against the wall by the door, watching. You handed them a cup of coffee, offering MAggie one but she decline, and sat down in your recliner.

“Sorry for Maggie, everyone here is protective of me.”

“Everyone?” Harvey questioned.

“Yes, I own this building and every room occupied here belongs to a worker of the Alley Cats.”

“Wait you work there?” Jim asked.

“No, I own the club, but I keep it a secret. I used my money to make it and renovate this place. I offer work to girls at the club. I provided them a home here and they do what they will with their money. Gotham’s a hard place to live in, so I just try to help. If anyone fucks around with my girls, they’ll hear from me.”

“Interesting.”

“Regardless of what I do here. Why are you here? My location isn’t known to many, and if you are here I assume it’s important.”

“Randal Makavoy murdered his wife last night and committed suicide at the precinct this morning. He said you made him do it and we have intel that he was at your club last night before the murder.”

“Hm, on occasion I do work at the club, the name seems familiar but I don’t understand how I am guilty?”

“Makavoy had traces of the Tetch virus in his blood. It was different but with similar effects. We believe you infected him.”

“The Tetch virus...I once had a girl here, I believe her name was Alice. I offered her work when she first came to Gotham. She was shy and needed help so I offered her a position in the back room. It was well but after an accident she left.”

“Did she cut herself? Was blood anywhere in your club?” Harvey asked.

“Yes, she broke some glass, but all the blood was picked up and cleaned, I helped her. The poor girl was so scared. I told her to stay but she wanted to leave, I gave her some money and wished her luck.”

“Y/n, did you come in contact with her blood?” Jim asked, feeling nervous.

“I did...is that a problem?”

“Alice Tetch’s blood had an effect on people. Anyone who came in contact with her blood would give into their darkest desires.”

“Nothing happened to me, if I had gone crazy my girls would have taken care of me.”

“Nothing’s ever been wrong with her.” Maggie said. “Never.”

“Look, I assure you detectives, this Makavoy did not come in contact with Alice’s blood...but he did mine.”

“What do you mean?” Jim asked.

“We were in a private room and I cut myself by accident. He was rather...sweet or kinky about it, so he sucked on my finger and basically tasted my blood. Moments later he got aggressive and rude, so I kicked him out. I don’t know what happened next and had nothing to do with it.”

“It may be possible he was infected sometime between leaving the club and going home.” Harvey said. “Just to be sure, it’s probably best we take a blood sample y/n.”

“I understand, you need to check all your corners. Hold on.” You went into another room of yours and came back with a vial of your blood. “Here.”

“How?” Jim asked.

“I am a doctor, I have my own home clinic so I can take care of my girls. I have needles and vials, I’ve never looked into my own blood but surely someone down at the precinct knows what to look for. Do keep me informed.”

“Will do, thank you for your cooperation.”

    When they exited the room, the hall and stairwell was full of other girls. Some had weapons and others just gave dirty looks. They weren’t welcome in that place but they had what they needed. Once back at the precinct they gave Lucius the vial of blood to analyze.

    This new Tetch virus was you. Your blood was similar to that of Alice’s but different. The effects were temporary but still dangerous. What happened was an accident, case solved, but there was something Jim had to do. He looked through records to find your file, very little information on your past but he had a picture, then went to Arkham Asylum. 

    He asked to speak with Jervis and met with him in the visit room. Jervis had a huge smile on his face, playfully tipping his paper hat. Jim sat down and put the file on the table.

“So, detective Gordon here for a visit, what a surprise.”

“I just need you to answer a few questions.”

“What about?”

“Alice.”

“Do not speak her name!”

“A new Tetch virus has come up.”

Jervis suddenly seemed intrigued. “Has it now?”

“Did you have another sister?”

“What a question, but the answer is no.”

“So this girl.” Jim opened the file and let Jervis see it. “You don’t know who she is?”

“Y/n...what a pretty name and face, I wish I could say I knew her. Why would I know her?”

“Her blood...it’s just like Alice’s but with a temporary effect.”

“My, my, my, that sounds like more fun.”

“Do you know anything about her Jervis?”

“I don’t, but I do hope she causes trouble for you.”

Jim snickered and picked up the file. “That’s where you’re wrong, she’s no criminal, and has no plans to spread another virus, just here to see what you knew. Enjoy hell Jervis.”

    Jervis smiled politely as Jim left. Guards soon came and took him back to the rec room with the other prisoners. He sat down in the corner and pulled out the photo of you he stole from the file. He gently caressed it with a smile on his face.

“My sweet Alice, you have come back to me. I promise I will find you my dearest.” He kissed your picture. “And I won’t let you run away this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems before Jerome gets back from the dead, someone else has their eyes on you.


	3. Chapter 3

After some testing at the GCPD you were asked to go down there to talk. You didn’t object and made your way to the precinct. You were in the lab with Jim, Harvey and Lucius.

“So what are the results?” You asked.

“The results indicate that your blood is similar to that of Alice Tetch.” Lucius said. “Whoever comes in contact with your blood is basically affected by the Tetch virus but its only temporary.” 

“So I’m the second version of that virus.”

“Yes. My question for you is how?”

You sighed. “Arkham. After Jerome...died...I went back to Arkham and that time around Dr. Strange...he took me to this underground place and experimented on me.”

“I’m so sorry.” Jim said.

“It’s not your fault, but long story short, he sort of made me immune to toxins by making my body adapt on a cellular level.”

“Could you explain that to those without doctorates.” Harvey said.

“It basically means that if I ever come in contact with something harmful instead of it hurting me I absorb it and remake it. You said it was Alice’s blood that was the virus, I came in contact with it so I absorbed it and now my blood is similar to hers.”

“But it’s not the same?” Jim questioned.

“No. My body doesn’t make a perfect copy of the toxin, but changes it. Like right now, my blood is the Tetch virus but the effects aren’t permanent, only temporary. However long it last might depend on how much of my blood someone comes in contact with.”

“How did Dr. Strange even realize this?”

“He...forcefully had me consume a few milligrams of cyanide. Hours later I was fine and he took a bunch of samples. He found traces of cyanide in my saliva, it was less then I had consumed but it was present. From there he began giving me lethal amounts of poison, any kind, and would test my saliva. If I consume a high enough amount of poison, a simple kiss with anyone can be lethal. Of course after a while he began testing to see if other parts of my body would react the same, and he also began using different kinds of toxins, from there you get the picture.”

“So if any part of you comes in direct contact with a toxin you absorb it and remake it.” Lucius questioned.

“Yes, my body tends to remake the toxin in whatever way it was exposed to me.”

“So if you were exposed to a toxin that’s airborn, your breath would be producing that toxin.” Jim questioned.

“Yes.”

“I’m assuming Strange would test that too so why isn’t your breath killing us.”

“If my saliva was producing one toxin, by consuming another, that toxin gets overwritten.”

“So are you normal right now?” Lucius asked.

“Mostly, accept for my blood, I had no idea about that one. The thing is before Strange let me go, for whatever reason, he made sure I wasn’t dangerous to anyone. Since then I just do my best to stay away from any kind of toxin that would change me.”

“Question now is how do we fix your blood?” Harvey asked.

“I can take care of that. I am careful with what I come in contact but I do keep rather large samples of my body fluids just in case. I have some of my blood, normal blood, back at my place incase I need for blood transfusions or something like this. I do apologies for the trouble I caused and I shall fix it immediately.”

“It wasn’t your fault y/n.” Jim said. “I’m just glad we found about this before things go out of hand.”

“Me too.” You checked your watch. “Well, I do have somewhere to be gentlemen but I assure you I’ll fix the issue and this won’t happen again.”

“Thanks for your cooperation, I’ll walk you out.”

You headed out of the lab with Jim. He thanked you again for your cooperation and understanding of the situation. Yet you told him that you should be thanking him, it was his hard work and the precincts that found out what was going on, they were just doing their job after all.

“Jim, if you do ever need help, give me a call. I might be of service.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

After exiting the precinct you made your way over to one of the abandoned buildings downtown. You regularly went to those gatherings for Jerome. It was a silly thing to do really but you still went. You’d hide somewhere and just watch all the people talk and remember Jerome. Most of the time you cried, cried because he was gone.

    These gatherings were nice though. It made sure that he was never forgotten, and that some remember him as good. Sometimes rumors would go around about you, the woman Jerome loved, but that’s all they ever were. No one ever really noticed how you were in the background of the GCPD massacre video.

    In the end you’d wait for everyone to leave before you got up to head out. It was early in the afternoon when you got out. You needed to get home to fix your blood but you decided to make a stop at the grocery store to get somethings. On your way out you felt yourself breaking down again, it tended to happen after those meetings. 

    You made your way over to an alley and called one of your girls, asking them to come pick you up. They all understood the reason. Even if Jerome was a criminal, love is love. Maggie came to get you and took the groceries from you then helped you into the car.

    She carried your groceries up to your room and setting them on the kitchen counter. She suggested that she should say but you told her not to. You just wanted to be alone at that point and she understood. When she was gone you made your way over to your home lab, but found someone else in there already. They stood up when they saw you, a smile on their face.

“Hello my dear Alice.”


	4. Chapter 4

    Two week later, things began to spiral. The GCPD had gotten word of Jervis Tetch’s escape. Every authority figure at the asylum had been hypnotised to not believe Jervis was still in his cell. An office who recently went to the asylum realized what had happened.

“Why now Jim? Guys been locked up for a while now. What suddenly made him want to get out.”

“I don’t...wait.”

    Jim went to file room with Harvey, getting out your file and realizing the picture was missing.

“We need to go see y/n immediately.”

“What’s wrong?”

“This is all my fault.”

“Talk to me Jim. Give me a straight answer.”

“Two weeks ago I went to see Jervis about y/n.”

“Why?”

“I know she said she was experiment on by Strange, but I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t somehow related to Jervis, or known by him.”

“And by doing so you told him that his virus thing is still alive.”

“It’s not, y/n cleansed herself remember, it still means she’s a target.”

“We had to ask Penguin for her location, she’s not an easy person to find.”

“Which is why we need to get to her immediately.”

    When Jim and Harvey got to the building they found it rather quiet. It was when they first came but it wasn’t absolutely silent. They could hear people moving around, but not this time. They made their way upstairs and knocked on your door.

“Detectives, what brings you here?”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes...is everything alright?”

“May we come in?”

“Yes of course.”

    The two detectives entered the apartment, pulling out their guns and looking around. You were confused but didn’t say anything, letting them look around. The place was clear.

“We’re really sorry y/n, Jervis Tetch broke out of Arkham and we have reason to believe he’d come after you.”

“What? Why?”

“He knows you had the Tetch virus in your system.”

“I see, you’re here to protect me.”

“We know you’re quiet safe with your girls here.” Harvey said. “But it would be better for you to come with us.”

“I understand. You can also run some tests if you’d like. To make sure I have gotten rid of the Tetch virus.”

“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

    You left your apartment with the two detectives, looking back up at the place. You caught a quick glance of Jervis looking down at you before getting into the car. The truth was Jervis had already been with you for over a week. With his ability to hypnotize people it wasn’t so hard for him to find you. When he did you fell under his spell.

    He took necessary precautions to protect his precious Alice. Before allowing you to change your blood he took multiple samples. Over the last few days he had been working on the virus, making it stronger and taking into account the changes that would happen once you consumed it.

    You honestly had no idea what he was planning to do. All you knew was that no matter what happened you could tell anyone about Jervis, or let yourself get taken away from him. Going with Jim was one thing, but you’d have to return. While down at the precinct they ran some tests on your blood, you were clean.

“What’d you take?” Jim asked.

“My own blood. Strange did have a samples of my actual blood before he began testing. I was normal when he let me out and I took some samples of my own in case of emergency. Good thing I did or else I’d have a deadly virus running through my veins.”

“We’re glad you’re okay.”

“Tetch is still coming though.” Harvey added. “If he’s been out for days now who knows what he’s been up to.”

“That brings up a good point. With his ability I figured he would have already gotten our attention.”

“Maybe he’s laying low to try and find y/n.” Jim thought.

“If he hasn’t found me then maybe I am safer with my girls. He hasn’t found me yet.”

“He might, he can hypnotise people and find your location.”

“You said he has a picture of me, not many people know who I am or what I do. If you want you can put a security detail in my place. I have room for an officer, female of course.”

“If I may.” Lucius cut in. “That may be best, instead of having her here, a far more public place.”

“I’ll get an officer to return with her, and to take the long way home.”

    Harvey stepped out and soon so did Lucius. You were left alone with Jim and gosh you wanted to scream. You wanted to cry for help but all you could do was sit there quietly and wait to get back to Jervis. You felt so weak for having fallen under his spell, and he did the same to the others in the building too.

“How have you been y/n?”

“Me? Um...fine I guess, business as usual.”

“If anything happens you call me okay. And don’t listen to him, that’s how he gets in your head.”

“Thanks for the advice detective.”

    Harvey returned and introduced you to the officer who would be coming with you. You thanked the others and returned home. The officer came with you, following you to your apartment for the rundown but Jervis was there waiting for you. You merely walked to your room as the officer was dealt with.

    You felt sick inside, you’ve turned a blind eye to everything he’s done since he infiltrated your life. Of course there was nothing you could do, no matter how hard you tried to fight him you couldn’t. You were honestly so scared for the city, whatever Jervis was planning wouldn’t end well for anyone.

“There you are my sweet Alice, come now, I want to run some tests.”

    He held his hand out you and you took it. He smiled and lead you upstairs to the other room. His workshop had been set up in an empty room so he could have more space, and be hidden in case anyone came looking for you. Like what just happened.

“Jervis…” You spoke lowly.

“Yes Alice?”

“I...I want to go out…”

“Out? My dear you are safest here with me.”

“I just want to see him.” Tears built in your eyes. “Please.”

“Who?”

“J...Jerome…”

“Hm, I’ll think about it.”

    You smiled a bit, hoping for the best, but that feeling didn’t last long. Jervis suddenly pulled you into a kiss. Since he found you he’s done that. Occasionally pressing his lips against yours. It was sick, it made you feel sick, but he always enjoyed it. It was in those moments when you wished to be six feet under with Jerome.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    Somehow though, like a miracle, happened and Jervis actually let you go out to the Jerome gatherings. You weren’t sure why but you weren’t going to question it. Of course all you could do was go out to those gatherings then come right back. You made sure to stick to the shadows when you went out and just like before, you watched the people from a far. This time around the gathering was different.

    It went on as usual, but you noticed Jim and Harvey in the back, watching. You felt a bit nervous about them being there, a part of you wanted to leave, run to Jervis for safety, but you forced yourself to stay. Jerome made you strong, even his memory helped you fight Jervis’ control from time to time.

    At the end of the video guns went off. You wanted to stay to see what happened, but you ran. If you were caught there it would look bad and only cause problems. On the outside you were a good person, reformed, no one knew that you were just broken inside. So broken that you hid behind so many people, just so no one could ever see you cry.

    By the time you returned to Jervis you were calm, he could tell something was up but didn’t press. You sat down, watching him, just how he wanted it when you came home. Sometimes you felt horrible, you hated yourself for being so weak. The fact that Jerome made you strong proved that you needed him, he was a part of you, and you lost it, you lost him.

    The next few days went by like normal. Your life in the hands of someone else, but then there was even more horror. As you were watching the news you suddenly saw the report about a takeover. You looked horrified, the man on screening wearing the face of the one person you loved. You were angry, to see such a person think they could possibly be Jerome.

    But then it hit you. That truly was Jerome’s face. You felt disgusted, but there was nothing you could do. This just made you angry, not strong, so you couldn’t leave, you stayed put and watched as this man tried to copy Jerome and then get arrested. It was just a bunch of crazies trying to put on a show, but hours later you found the strength.

    The news kept reporting the incident, and then there was the broadcast. Jerome, the real Jerome appeared on screen, his cut off face stapled back together. To just see his eyes and hear that smile, you knew it was really him. You felt such immense happiness to see him alive, a part of you had come back from the dead. Your eyes were glued to the screen as you watched him.

“Tonight Gotham, in the darkness, there are no rules. So tonight Gotham, do what you want, kill who you want. And when morning comes…” Jerome grabbed the fuse and held up the lighter. “You too shall be...” He lite the fuse. “Reborn!”

    Jerome laughed and walked away from the camera but suddenly turned back. Leaning in real close with a big grin.

“Oh and one more thing. Y/n, dear, honey, sweetheart, I know you’re watching, and I’ll be waiting for you. You know where.”

    He blew a kiss at the camera and walked away. Your heart skipped a beat when he spoke your name. You knew exactly where to go, but it wouldn’t be easy. When you turned around you saw Jervis looking at you.

“That man spoke of you Alice.” You stepped back. “Where are you going my dear?”

    He pulled out his watch and you immediately fell into trance. He walked closer to you, grabbing your face. He asked you again where you were going and you answered honestly. Amongst all the chaos you knew where Jerome would go, the circus. The lights suddenly went out.

“I see.” Jervis looked around with a smile. “Tonight it the perfect night my dear.”

    He pulled out a red vial, forcing your mouth open, and poured its contents down your throat. For a moment you felt a fire burn within you, but then it settled. Thoughts of Jerome ran through your head, he was waiting for you and nothing was going to keep you from him.

    You found the strength within you to fight back. You got Jervis off you and took the watch from his hand. You threw it across the room and knocked him down before bolting out the door. Every step you took would bring you closer to Jerome and that joy pushed you forward. You ignored the chaos of the city streets, focusing only on him.

    You stopped near the circus gates, catching your breath. It was lively with people playing violent games. You looked around in awe, pushing past the laughing people and searching. Then you saw him. A crowd of people around him as he walked around, tugging along Bruce Wayne. You didn’t care about anything but him in that moment, you were so happy tears built up in your eyes and you screamed out his name.

“JEROME!”

    You never thought you’d truly ever speak his name. He turned around looking annoyed but when his eyes found you he smiled. You began to walk towards him, feeling dazed, and hoping that this wasn’t a delusion. When you got close Jerome pulled you into a deep kiss and you knew it was real, he was real. He pulled back with a big grin, looking you up and down and running a hand down your side.

“Hi there y/n.” He laughed. “Let’s get you dolled up baby girl, big show tonight. I want you looking your best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do want to say that this fic will catch up with the current events of the season, since this chapter is pretty much taking place around the end of season 3. With that said, in light of recent things that happened on the show, I'm just gonna say you'll be okay ;)


	5. Chapter 5

“This is a nightmare.”

“Thanks for the newsflash Harv.”

The GCPD was all over the place, trying to deal with the chaos that had fallen on the city. Alfred had already informed them about Bruce’s kidnapping, they knew his time was limited.

“What about y/n?” Harvey asked. “Jerome addressed her in his broadcast.”

“I already contacted the officer who’s looking after her, told them to keep her put.”

“Jim you don’t get it. She’s a criminal, the only reason she was a good person was because the bad part of her was dead, and now he’s back. She’s gonna run back into his arms.”

“Maybe, but Jervis is also looking for her, if she goes out he might get to her first. Regardless, she can take care of herself, we have bigger problems to deal with right now.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Standing in the middle of the circus ground Jerome kissed you hard. He held you tightly in his arms, not ever wanting to let you go. When someone tried to interrupt he merely shot them. You jumped with excitement, feeling that rush of adrenaline that you had missed so much. Jerome purred but pulled away.

“Guys, go lock up Brucy, there’s something I gotta do first.” 

Jerome lead you deeper into the circus, taking you to some backstage place. It was relatively empty except for a few tables and chairs, along with a bunch of costumes. He smiled at you and gestured for you to pick something to wear. It was time to get out of the normal clothes and join the show.

“If I may.” Jerome walked over and grabbed a bloody ballerina costume. “This reminds me off the old days, back in Arkham. All those times you danced for me, like my very own ballerina.”

You blushed. “Will you help me get dressed?”

He grinned, putting the costume down on a table and pushing you against it. He pushed you down, sliding a hand up your shirt, sending shivers up your spine.

“If there’s one thing I missed more than living, it was you.”

“I missed you too.”

Jerome leaned over and kiss you. “Tell me, what have you been up to.”

“I run a club, but mostly keep to myself.”

“You’ve been a good girl then.”

You whispered into his ear. “Being bad is no fun without you.”

“It sure isn’t.” He ripped your shirt off. “But I’m here now, so let’s do some bad things.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

You fixed up Jerome’s bow tie as he stood in front of the mirror. After that little fun you got dressed in that ballerina suit and he dressed as a circus ring leader. The big show was about to begin. You looked over his face, adjusting some staples.

“Thanks.”

“Remind me to get you to a hospital and stitch your face back on properly.”

“Alright then, after the festivities.”

He wrapped an arm around your waist and pulled you in for a kiss. Afterwards you went out on stage with Jerome, enjoying the cheering of the crowd. It was nostalgic, to watch him put on a show, just like the old days.

It felt like nothing had changed. In that last year you had merely been in a daze, filling your life with purpose just so you’d stay alive. There were countless times where you wanted to join Jerome in the afterlife, your girls never did let you. You followed the others out to excite the crowd for Jerome’s entrance.

It wasn’t long after that when Bruce Wayne was brought out before the crowd. You helped bring out the canon. The energy that went around brought you such joy. You watched Jerome with a smile, looking forward to all the mischief the two of you would get up to. Just as the final act was beginning gun shots went off.

You saw Jim with Harvey and Alfred. Then the GCPD came forth, you became worried. As the crowds distracted the police you made your way to Jerome, urging him to go. He managed to light the fuse for the canon before the two of you ran off. You could have escaped but that wasn’t Jerome’s style.

He noticed that Bruce didn’t die and began looking around. You stayed with him, making sure the police didn’t touch him. He spotted Bruce go into the mirror house and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek before going after him. You weren’t concerned at all but you should have been. You stayed outside, seeing the battle being lost, that’s when you ran into the mirror house after Jerome.

You found the two fighting, Jerome pinned under Bruce, his face falling off. You didn’t hesitate to tackle Bruce off of him and start punching him. You let your anger drive you, your fear of losing Jerome. An arm on your shoulder pulled your attention away, it was Jerome, a broken smile on his face.

“I think it’s time to go.”

“Yeah.”

You got up and took Jerome’s house, making your way out and leaving the circus. Jerome was injured and you knew you needed to get him someplace safe. You found an abandoned building and took shelter there. You sat Jerome down, removing his jacket and examining his injuries.

“I need to get you to a hospital or something.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You always say that.”

You adjusted his face, giving him a soft smile. There was suddenly a noise and you both look around. You notice the shadow of a figure coming towards you. When you notice the top hat you began to panic. Jervis walked into your line of sight, a devious smile on his face. You grabbed Jerome’s hand tightly.

“Alice! My, my, you get around.”

“Jervis please, I need-”

Jerome got up and limped over to Jervis. You walked along with him, making sure he didn’t fall, not looking at Jervis.

“Who are you?”

Jervis chuckled and took out his pocket watch, when you heard the ticking you immediately felt numb, grabbing Jerome tightly. Despite the trance you had the strength to yell.

“Jervis! Stop it…”

Jerome yanked the pocket watch from Jervis’s hand. He examined it for a moment then looked at you and shut it. You immediately felt like yourself again.

“So you’re one of those guys, a hypnotist. Seen your kind around the circus, I never really understood it. But I don’t like you messing with my girl.”

Jerome pulled out a knife and pointed it at Jervis. He laughed and handed you the watch.

“So who are ya?”

You knew that Jerome was in no condition to pick a fight and Jervis could be useful. So it was in your best interest to get the boys to work together.

“Jervis is my brother.”

The both looked at you rather surprised. You took the knife from Jerome and gave Jervis his watch back.

“He used that on you.” Jerome said. “And he called you Alice.”

“I know, my middle name is Alice, he prefers to call me that. As for the other thing  it’s a sort of security measure, he’s my big brother after all and doesn’t know you, so makes sense.”

“You never mentioned him before.”

“I recently found out, he came to me sometime after I got out of Arkham. You’ve been gone for some time Jerome, there’s a lot I need to catch you up on.”

“Truly my dear.” Jervis said. “What are you doing with this… crazy person.”

“His name is Jerome and I love him. Look this isn’t the best place to talk, but you guys can help each other.”

“How?” Both asked simultaneously.

“Well, Jervis, you want to spread the virus and Jerome here has a cult of people who will do anything for him. And you Jerome, he’s a hypnotist, he can get you the medical attention you need which means I can stitch your face back on. The two off you can benefit from working together.”

“What virus?” Jerome asked.

“I can explain later, so, what do you guys say?”

“I can see how this partnership will be beneficial.”

“Alright fine.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

The three of you found a clinic around the outskirts of Gotham. Jervis took care of the staff and you stitched up Jerome’s face. You gave him some medicine for the pain but he refused to go under, he didn’t want you alone with Jervis.

So while you reattached his face you told him about what happened to you in Arkham, and about Jervis and the virus he created that you carried in your blood. He was quiet impressed and had half a mind to kill that Strange guy. When you finished with his face you checked the rest of him, bandaging him up and cleaning the blood off. Jervis came in when you were done.

“Seems you’re good as new.” Jervis said.

“Better than ever.” Jerome grabs a scalpel. “Now, why should I trust you.”

“Hey!” You pushed the two apart. “Stop fighting! You both want to cause chaos, destroy this city or whatever, you have a better chance of doing all that together.”

“I don’t need someone else, just you sweetheart.”

“He knows a lot about the virus in me.”

“And he’s the one who put it there as you told me.”

“Yeah… how about I show you what it can do.”

You go over and grab a needle, taking some of your own blood. You handed the needle to Jerome. He stared at it for a moment.

“What?”

“Inject some of that into some of the clinic staff, you’ll see what it happens.”

Jerome puts the scalpel down and goes to the closet where the staff was locked in, they stood in silence. He injected the closes one and stepped back. 

“Nothings happening.”

“Give it a moment.” Jervis said.

The person attacked another employee and you pulled Jerome out, locking the door. You heard screams and some shouting. It went quiet and Jerome peeked in to see all but one dead. He looked back at you with a grin.

“Well aren’t you full of surprises.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Despite the compromise you still needed a place to hide, you suggested your apartment building. The girls would protect you and it was very unlikely that anyone would look for you there. They agreed and you discretely made your way back home.

That’s when all the fun began. Over the next few days they took some of your blood, Jervis getting into places with Jerome’s lackies and spreading the virus. At first only some people of the slums were exposed, but eventually it got into high society.

Reports were all over the news about the random acts of violence, and at first there seemed to be no connection, but knowing Jim he’d eventually figure it out. You enjoyed everything though, not at all concerned about the consequences, you had Jerome back after all. You went with him to those secret meetings, watching as the people cheered for him and took the virus. You were quiet happy.

But you knew it wouldn’t last. It wasn’t long before the GCPD learned that the Tetch virus was the cause for all the violence. They came looking at your apartment and were met with a full on attack. The three of you escaped but of course you didn’t go far. You were cornered and everyone arrested.

Jervis was gagged and thrown in the back of a police car heading to Arkham. They did the same for Jerome, but things were a bit different with you. Jim pulled you to the side and you heard Jerome yell from behind.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jim asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, with Jervis around I figured you might not have been yourself.”

“And what if I wasn’t?”

“Well, I could-”

“You want a reason to get me out of this, don’t you.”

“You’re a good person y/n, you don’t deserve to go to Arkham.”

“I was never a good person Jim, so I’ll be clear. If you don’t put me in the back of that truck you will regret it, I promise you that.”

Jim stared at you looking rather disappointed but he handed you off to some other officers who got you into the truck. You sat next to Jerome and leaned against him. You just wanted to be with him, it didn’t matter where.


	6. Chapter 6

    Being back in Arkham felt nostalgic. The most interesting was that each time you were there it was a different scenario. This time around though, you were incredibly happy. Of course when you were taken into custody your blood was made normal again, the GCPD had samples, so you weren’t so much of a problem.

    Jervis was mostly kept locked up and if he was ever let out for some air he’d be gagged and forced to wear a muzzle to make sure he couldn’t talk. Excessive, but apparently necessary. You mostly stuck with Jerome, and it wasn’t long before he had the whole asylum wrapped around his finger. He was the king of the crazies and you were his queen. 

At night he’d come to your cell. You’d talk, play around, and do other things, regardless of the guards right outside the door. Eventually though, Jerome started to whisper ideas for a grand breakout, as well as his plans for Gotham itself. You were rather intrigued, excited for the parts you were going to play.

The one thing that did sort of pull you back to reality from all the fun you were having was when Penguin showed up. It was strange to see him there since he wasn’t really crazy, not like everyone in Arkham anyway. When lunch was served you went over to where he sat alone and joined him.

“Funny seeing you here, Oswald.”

“Y/n, I heard of your return here.”

“What can I say, this place feels like home.”

Laughter erupts in the cafeteria, you both look over to see Jerome standing on a table surrounded by the other inmates.

“You mean he’s home.”

“And what of it? You don’t approve?”

“If I’m honest you’ll be upset.”

You chuckled. “Oswald I know how you feel about him. You’re a man of order and he’s pure chaos. You don’t like him because he’s the exact opposite of you.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t understand what you see in him.”

“Well,” You looked over at Jerome. “He’s funny, smart, and totally nuts. It’s refreshing actually. Working with the underground just had me dealing with serious people, same thing with the club, but he’s just fun and free. I love it.”

“He makes you happy, I can respect that. So I’ll do my best to stay out of his business.”

“Thanks. Now, can I ask, how did you end up here? Thought you were king of Gotham? Untouchable.”

“I was betrayed.”

“Oh, sorry about that. Hey, wait, where’s Ed? He’s your right hand, unless… did he?”

“No. Not on purpose, I told him him to turn on me when the police came, I needed him on the outside.”

“So he’s your escape plan?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well if anyone can get you out it’s him.”

“Come over here, dollface!”

You heard Jerome call you.

“Gotta go, take care Oswald, if you get into trouble just tell them you’re friends with me.”

“Thank you.”

“See you around.”

You went over to Jerome who was at the center of a crowd. The people moved out of the way to let you through and you sat down in his lap, getting a kiss on the cheek. Everyday was a fun one with him. He made any hell heaven for you.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Despite all the fun of being in Arkham escape was still something to look forward too, and you had your part to play. Jerome had big plans and he’d be needing help, that’s where you came in. The next time around Jervis was let out of his cage you went to have a chat with him.

He seemed surprised that you approached him. You haven’t been avoiding him, Jerome just always wanted your attention. He sat at the edge of the building by a corner. You sat down next to him. You were quiet for a bit before you started talking.

“Sorry to say that my blood is back to normal. The GCPD took some samples from me as a precaution. But I bet you have other vials of your virus hidden somewhere in the city.”

He looked over at you and nodded.

“Cool. I look forward to getting that back in my system.”

He looked confused. You laughed.

“Look, despite you hypnotizing me and stuff I get why you were so… possessive. You lost your sister, and that virus was a big part of her, it ran through her veins, it lived inside of her. So, the fact that you can get that virus to live inside of me, to run through my veins, it’s like you can bring her back to life. I get that you miss, and if I can bring her back for you then I will.” You grabbed his hand. “I’ll be your Alice, just no hypnosis please.”

Jervis looked down at your hand then back at you. You couldn’t see his lips but you can tell he was smiling, the happiness was in his eyes.

“So, Jerome has a plan to get out of here, and get that stupid muzzle off you. You’re in right?”

He nodded and you kissed his head. You stayed with him until he was taken back to his cell. You used the time to tell him about yourself, your life in Gotham.

After that whenever he was out he hung out with you and Jerome. He couldn’t talk but nodding and writing was enough for now. Since you had Jervis on your side, now you needed to get Jonathan Crane.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Getting to Jonathan was less of an issue, but the guy was more of a loner. Whenever he could get his hands on chemicals he’d be mixing them in some bowl. And even then, he rarely left his room, at least you’d know where to find him.

He was busy doing who knows what with the toilet in his room when you found him. He didn’t pay you any attention so you just sat down on his bed. It was quiet for a while until you decided to talk.

“I’m the only person your fear gas won’t affect you know. No matter how strong you make it.”

“Are you fearless?”

“No, but your fear gas is this chemical compound, my body is immune to it.”

“Immune?” He stopped his work and looked back at you. “How is that possible?”

“Not sure to be honest. I was experimented on and my body became immune to all kinds of toxins and viruses. Well, not immune, my body absorbs… harmful chemicals and recreates them. I bet if I got some of your fear gas in my system my body would produce it.”

“Interesting.” 

He got up and grabbed your face. His other hand trailed down your chest but you grabbed it.

“Easy there. I’m as curious as you to test the theory, but we’d need to get out of here first. I’m sure you know about Jerome.”

“Yes.”

“Well he’s got big plans for this city and he could use your help. When that’s all done, I’m more than happy to see my breath become a weapon. And since you’re a science guy, you can mix all kinds of chemicals in me, maybe create and new deadly toxin. So, you in scarecrow?”

“You have my interest, so I’ll be part of this plan.”

“Good, cause you and Jerome have a lot to talk about.”

It was nice to make new friends. Even though the pieces were all together Jerome was still waiting. Ed came by a few times to visit Oswald, you’d say greet him if you saw him. Eventually Oswald broke out with Ed, you helped them a bit which resulted with you getting thrown into solitary for a week.

Jerome was upset about that but he visited you every night. The plan was coming along and you looked forward to getting back out in the city. Although, despite everything, you knew he was keeping something from you. You weren’t going to pry but it made you very suspicious of him. Regardless, you couldn’t wait to get out.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

The day of the break out you were so giddy with energy. Everyone knew the plan and you couldn’t wait for night fall. Jerome did ask you to get some sleep, but you couldn’t it. So when the sun set, it was go time. You began to work on breaking out of your own cell. It wasn’t too hard and once you were out you went to find Jervis. He was already out of his cell.

“Alice!”

“Jervis! It’s so good to hear your voice again.”

When you reached him you hugged him. You then noticed the security guard just standing there. You politely waved even though you’d get no response. The two of you then made your way Jonathan’s cell, getting it open.

“I fear I will require a moment more.”

“Oh, black gooey stuff, I wonder what would happen if I drank it.”

“Save the experiments for later Alice.”

“Right.”

Once you were done there you made your way to Jerome’s cell. He was locked up tight because of reason, which made everything more exciting. Jonathan poured the homemade acid on the lock and the doors opened. You smiled and ran to Jerome to hug him and kiss him.

He made a funny joke about being a little late, but still. For a moment the boys started to argue but you got in the middle of it, reminding them they were still in Arkham and that they could screw each other over later. With that said they all moved forward with the plan.

The rest of the inmates were released and the real chaos begun. You walked out the front doors with ease and made your way towards the gates at Jerome’s side. He bowed once he was outside of Arkham and you looked at the city with joy. It was going to burn soon enough.


	7. Chapter 7

There were somethings that needed to be done discreetly, so Jervis would be providing the distraction. You went with him, firstly going to a place in the narrows where he had stored a vial of the Tetch virus. You drank its contents, glad to have the virus back in your veins. With that done you helped Jervis set up his plan, getting him to a radio station.

“I’ll see you tonight okay.” You kissed Jervis’ head. “Give them hell.”

He kissed your hand and then you were off. The others were at your old apartment, so you made your way over. Scarecrow had already taken a room for himself, setting up a little lab. When you got there you spent some time with Jerome. It was nice to have him home.

“Is Mr. Tetch all set?”

“Yup. The GCPD will be too busy with him to worry about us.”

“Good. Now what to do with this free time?”

“I have a few ideas.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

After some fun with Jerome you helped with some preparations. Jerome wanted to have a sort of brunch meeting with other bad people of Gotham, so you were tasked with the invites. You visited Oswald first, glad to see him outside the asylum back with Ed. You stayed for a drink, relaying the message from Jerome and asking him to host the brunch. He reluctantly agreed, and while there you asked him about Firefly and Mr. Freeze, since they would be harder to find.

He gave you a few leads and you thanked him for his time. You followed up with the intel he gave you and found the other two. You told them of the brunch, asking them to attend. It didn’t seem like they’d want to but they were curious so you knew they’d show up. The others guests you knew would be in attendance. With that task doen you went back home in time to join the others in rescuing Jervis.

You stopped his transport truck, Scarecrow dealing with the driver. You commented that you still needed a turn with that fear gas, but Jerome said later. You jumped into the front passenger seat while Jerome went to greet Jervis. After a quick chat you were off, getting back to headquarters and preparing for the next phase.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

The brunch at Oswald’s place was rather fun. You wanted to sit in Jerome’s lap but you knew it was best to keep things professional. Everyone was present except Jervis who was rather busy with something else. You sat by the fire doodling on a notebook and taking note of Jerome’s name for the group, it was a fun one.

Once Jervis got back the brunch continued as plan, but afterwards was different. There was still something that Jerome hadn’t told you about and he planned to go off on his own. You were concerned, trying to convince him to take you with but he told you to stay with Scarecrow and Jervis while he was away. You did stay behind in the end.

You took the time to be with Jonathan in his lab. You watched him as he made some of his fear gas for his suit, excited to try it. Jervis didn’t join you though, deciding to get some rest, not concerned anymore about you leaving him or anything.

“What are you afraid of?” Jonathan asked. “Do you know?”

“Yes. I’m afraid of losing Jerome. I don’t think I could do that again. I honestly don’t know how I did it the first time.”

“You’re much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

“Maybe. It’s like a part of me knew he’d come back. I just had to wait.”

“Are you ready?”

“Let’s do this.”

Jonathan sprayed his fear gas into you. It didn’t smell like anything awful and you inhaled most of it. You coughed, grabbing your throat, feeling a bit sick. Jonathan held you, making sure you didn’t fall over and hurt yourself. After a moment you calmed down, going back to normal. 

Once he was sure that you were alright he brought someone he had kidnapped for testing. You smiled and got close, blowing air into their face. Nothing happened at first but then the person started screaming. You jumped with joy, even Jonathan looked impressed.

“Oh this is so cool! I’m like a living weapon! A virus in my veins and a dangerous gas in my lungs.”

“You abilities are quiet remarkable.”

“Thank you, but you can’t give me all the credit. Jervis’ virus and your gas are amazing on their own.”

“So your body cannot be harmed, but adapts.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Mixing certain chemicals can be dangerous and ultimately not work.”

“You want me to consume a bunch of stuff. I wish I could but it doesn’t work like that. My body doesn’t mix what I take in, it replaces it. You fear gas works instantly, and the original Tetch virus was permanent. My breath still causes fear but doesn’t work as fast as the original, and even though Jervis messed around with the virus for me, what I have still isn’t permanent.”

“Your body adapts to the danger, recreates it, but it’s not an exact replica.” 

“Exactly.”

“Then perhaps consuming certain chemicals all at once could cause your body to mix them.”

“Or doing that is the actual way I’ll die.”

“We can test it, although, you may not need to do anything.”

“Elaborate.”

“The Tetch virus changed your blood. Perhaps all I need is your saliva to mix chemicals.”

“That’s actually a good point. I guess I can give you samples, regardless of how weird this is going to be.”

You spent the rest of the day with Jonathan, learning from him. When Jerome finally came back you realized he was hurt. You questioned him about what happened, he didn’t want to say anything at first but he did eventually speak up. You never knew much about his past, it didn’t matter, but it was actually important for his plan.

He told you that he actually had a twin brother, and that he was looking for him. Hearing about him, Jeremiah, and what he did to Jerome, it hurt. You hugged him tight, being mindful of his injuries. You wanted to help him get closure, or whatever it was that he was looking for. 

Once he was better you two made the trip to look for him. He was living under a different name and you had a place to go that could lead to him. You dressed up in a nice pink dress and went with him. The elevator ride was boring, but you passed the time by running your hands over Jerome’s face. You loved feeling every bump on his face, he was so beautiful.

The conference room was more fun. You jumped on the table, kicking things off as Jerome questioned the people. You bounced around in glee when someone got shot. It wasn’t long after that before Jerome got his answer and then you were off. The fun part though was running into Jim and Harv. You waved to them before Jerome pulled you close to him behind some cover.

Luckily you two didn’t come alone. Firefly helped with the escape and you made your way out. The next part though, Jerome said he had to go alone. He knew how things would go and he needed you to stay with the others. No more secrets between the two anymore. You knew the plan, so you were happy to help.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

You went with Jervis and Jonathan to the outskirts of Gotham, apparently that’s where Jeremiah was. From what you were told, he lived in some sort of maze, and Jerome knew his way around the place. The two boys went in ahead of you, telling you to wait up for Jerome by the exit, and you did, for a while at least.

From where you were you began to hear people shouting and gun fire. You went in, finding a purple neon sign pointing towards the exit. It was weird but you looked around. Nothing but concrete walls, the place really was a maze, you heard footsteps approaching and pulled out your gun. A man dressed in a suit and glasses rounded the corner and stopped.

“Oh my… you really are twins.”

“Who… how did you-”

“Jerome has been looking for you. Nice hiding place by the way, really creative.”

“How do you know-”

“Hello brother.”

Jeremiah’s eyes widen and he tried to back away but Jervis and Jonathan were behind him. Jerome came up behind you and kissed your cheek then took the gun. He approached his brother and you leaned against the wall, watching the two of them. 

    Despite being scared, Jeremiah’s gaze would sometimes fall on you, for a moment of course. Jerome sent the other two to deal with Jim and Harv, but you stayed, listening and watching. Hearing a tragedy and feeling such hatred from Jeremiah.

“You turned everyone I ever loved against me!”

You reached for Jerome’s hand when he spoke about losing his loved ones. He gladly took it, kissing your hand, gun still on his brother. You leaned against him as he continued.

“We all could go insane with just one bad day.”

“I remember that day for me.” You giggled.

It wasn’t long before you heard Jervis screaming. They found the police but they didn’t kill them. They ran past you and you stepped away from Jerome. When Jim appeared Jerome grabbed his brother, holding him at gunpoint and telling you to go. You ran out and waited. After some gunfire you heard Jerome’s laugh and he got out. He took your hand and you two ran into the night.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

With his home compromised and Jerome out on the loose, Jeremiah went with Jim to the precinct. When he walked in everyone was looking at him, he did have the same face of a psycho so he understood why everyone was worried. He was going to be placed in protective custody, but there was something bothering him.

“Jim, can I ask you something, although I am not certain you’ll know the answer.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“There was a woman with Jerome… do you know who she is?”

“Her name’s y/n. I guess you can say that she’s Jerome’s girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend, so she loves him.”

“I know it’s hard to believe but yes… she really does love him.”

“Who… do you know who she was… before?”

“Um, she’s from here, used to be some medical prodigy before she got caught up in Gotham’s underworld.”

“I see. Thank you.”


	8. Chapter 8

    Having seen that laugh gas work, you got excited for the final phase of the plan. The next part involved kidnapping some government officials. That wasn’t actually too hard. It was kind of funny hearing them offering money to Jerome and the others, that was nothing compared to what was going to happen.

“So, it’s almost time for the grand finale!”

    You were back home with the others, taking a little down time before the end. All they needed now was to get a blimp and take over the music festival tomorrow.

“Indeed, now we need to go over a few things, make sure everything goes to plan.”

    Jerome was going to take over the music festival, keeping attention on him with the hostages. Some of his people would be on the nearby roofs to keep watch, two teams since Jerome figured the GCPD would try to snipe him down. There were a bunch of other backup things but he wasn’t going to bore us all with the details.

    Since everything was going down tomorrow, it gave you the rest of the day to be with Jerome. Which of course meant some fun in the bedroom. He was so energetic that night, leaving you with countless bruises, you were somewhat worried that you wouldn’t be able to walk in the morning. After all the fun the two of you laid in bed together, you whistled for him, knowing he missed doing so.

“I love you dollface.”

You smiled. “I love you too. Having you back is the best present I’ve ever gotten.”

“You’re too kind.”

“And you’re too crazy too function sometimes.”

“Well, that may be why I need you. I need someone to keep me on my feet.”

“Yeah, especially with what comes next. You’re gonna drive this city mad! It will be play time all day everyday!”

“And no big men in suits and badges will be able to stop us.”

    You got on his lap and kissed him hard. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close and laying back down with you. He played with your hair, staring up at the ceiling and rubbing your back.

“You know you’re the best thing I’ve ever had.”

You chuckled. “You’re the best thing I have.”

“You know I love you very much.”

“I know, I honestly love hearing those words from your mouth.”

“I should say them more often then.”

“Why not start now.”

“I love you, I love you, and…” He kissed your cheek. “I love you.”

“Why can’t I go with you to the festival? I should be there, we could dance together.”

“I know, that sounds fun, but I need you to make sure everything else goes to plan. You have everyone here wrapped around your finger.”

“Do I now?”

“Well I’m here with you, Mr. Tetch is your brother, Mr. Crane likes to have you in his experiments, and Mr. Cobblepot is an old friend. The main players are yours to command.”

“Maybe, but I can’t tell you what to do. We all just like each other.”

“After this we go our separate ways, but surely they’ll want you around.”

“I’ll keep in touch and keep the peace between you. Maybe I do have you all wrapped around my finger.”

“You know what you’re doing tomorrow then?”

“Help load up the gas on the blimp, make sure everything goes smoothly and then wait for the end.”

“Yup, although I am questioning Cobblepot’s loyalty.”

“You worried he’s going to interfere?”

“Perhaps, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I have plans in case things go wrong with him. Will you be alright?”

“You’re not going to kill him are you?”

“No.”

“Then… what he decides to do is on him.”

“I’m glad we’re in agreement, now come on.” He laid you down beside him. “Get some sleep.”

“You too.”

    You kissed him and snuggled into the bed. You quickly fell asleep, Jerome pulling you into his arms. He stayed up a while longer, gently caressing you.

“I love you.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    You woke up alone, quickly dressing and going out to see the others but no Jerome. He had left early which made sense, big day, but you still wish you had seen him before. You ate something in the morning with the others then headed out to where the blimp would be.

    Acquiring the blimp wasn’t preplanned, it was to be done in the moment so no one could find out or interfere. So it was obvious that when you walked into the hangar the pilots began to question you. Jonathan took care of one and Jervis hypnotised the other. It was then that Penguin put two and two together.

“The kidnappings, the concert in the square, all to draw the biggest crowds so we can drop the laughing gas on them. This is madness.”

“I thought you’d appreciate the beauty of it all, but Jerome was right.”

    You felt your heart sink when you heard that. You really had hoped Oswald wouldn’t complain but you knew that amongst the group, he was the most sane. You hid behind Jervis cause you didn’t want to see what came next.

“Tie him up, put him on the blimp. Jerome wants him to have a birds eye view.”

    You watched Oswald get dragged onto the blimp and you made sure the laughing gas was secure. You stayed with the others and watched the blimp take off.  
“So, now what? Jerome didn’t tell me much after this part.”

“Now, we get you home.”

“What? I thought maybe I could go to the concert. The gas won’t effect me.”

“I’m afraid that’s not what Jerome asked us to do.”

    You saw Jervis pull out his pocket watch. You turned around to run but Jonathan grabbed you and flipped you.

“No, no, please don’t! Why!”

“Sorry my dear.”

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    You woke up back in your room, the TV turned on and showing the broadcast of the festival. You saw Jerome on the TV and smiled but got up heading for the door. When you reached out for the door handle your hand froze. There was something holding you back and you that feeling felt familiar.

    Jervis had done something to you. You vaguely remembered what had happened in the hangar. You looked back to the TV,  and sat down in bed. For whatever reason you couldn’t leave the room, but you could use your voice. You started screaming, seeing if anyone was around to listen. You weren’t alone, after a moment Jervis came in.

“You’re awake.”

“I am, and I want to know why I can’t leave my own room.”

“Jerome wanted you out of the line of fire in case anything went wrong.”

“He could have told me that instead of having you…”

“I know, I’m sorry, it was a precaution, we all know how you are.”

“Yeah, doesn’t mean I won’t get pissed.”

“My apologies, but this way we all know you’re safe.”

“Well if I’m stuck here can I get some water, maybe popcorn for the show.”

“I can do that.”

“Thank.”

    Despite being annoyed you were actually touched. Going to all those lengths just to make sure you were safe. You watched Jerome on the TV, his dancing, his threats. He acted like a rockstar and it was great, that is until the guests of honor arrived. The GCPD tried to stop him but your man was always prepared.

    You knew what the plan was but you were still surprised to see Jeremiah. It was strange how similar and yet how different they were. Hearing Jerome talking about their different lives, it hurt, but to then see him hand Jeremiah a knife and free him, you were on the edge of your seat. Then on the floor laughing when Jerome punched his brother.

    It was good for a moment, then gunfire, a lot of gunfire, was heard. Next thing you knew you saw Jim by the stage with a gun and Jerome on the ground bleeding. In that moment you wanted to run, to go to him but despite the door being open, you couldn’t set foot out of your room.

    All you could do was sit and watch as his explosives failed and then he jumped off stage, running off. You yelled at Jervis telling him to let you out, you told him what happened, but even then he refused. You watched as the people began running, the blimp over their heads, then the broadcast was cut off. You had no idea what was going on in the city. All you could do was sit and wait.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    Amongst all the chaos Jerome jumped off stage, holding his wound and running off. He ran, making his way up to a roof, watching the blimp approach. It wasn’t a surprise to learn that Jim Gordon had followed him. It didn’t change anything, he pulled his phone out to call the pilot but the phone was shot out of his hand. It didn’t matter to him though, he still made the order and was then met with a shot to chest.

“Funny.”

    He fell over the led but wrapped his arm around a metal beam that stuck out of the building. In a moment Jim was looking over the edge.

“Quite the dilemma Jim. You gonna let me fall and die or you gonna pull me up and arrest me?” Jerome struggled holding himself up and reached a hand up to Jim. “What’s it going to be? Lawmen or murderer?”

    There was a moment of thought before Jim reached a hand out, trying to help Jerome. Jerome laughed and lowered himself so he only hands from his hands.

“Good old Gordon, always playing by the rules. That’s why I’ll outlive you. That’s why I’m loved, cause I dont give a damn about the rules.”

“It’s a long way down, you sure you’ll outlive me?”

“Oh I’m sure, cause I’m more than a man, I’m an idea, a philosophy, and I will live on in the shadows within Gotham’s discontent.”

“And what about y/n? She loves you, are you really going to leave her, again?”

“Ah… my beautiful doll, she’ll be fine.”

“She was barely functioning without you. Just give me your hand, tell me where she is and you can both go back to Arkham.”

“Oh I could watch her dance for me, but I got other plans, I know she’ll be okay, she’ll be better than ever as for me, you’ll be seeing me soon.”

    Jerome’s hands slipped off the rod and he fell with a thunderous laugh to his death. All Jim could do was watch. The end of the laugh was met with a silencing crash and with a smile on his face Jerome was dead.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

    It grew dark outside and you knew nothing. Trapped at home, curled up in a corner, worried about had happened. Jerome escaped, he was on his way home to see you. Jervis didn’t even tell you anything, probably as clueless as you. You were up so long, waiting, you started to drift off to sleep.

    You had nodded off a bit when you heard some commotion. You got up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, hearing Jervis yelling at someone. It then went quiet and you saw someone approaching your room. You saw their face and smiled, running towards them.

“Jerome!”

    You were so happy to see him, but that feeling didn’t last long. As you got closer the light from the TV allowed you to see his face. Your heart sank and you stopped dead in your tracks.

“You’re not… Jerome…”

    The white face and piercing eyes actually frightened you causing you to take a step back. In an almost mocking manner he took a step forward.

“Jervis!”

“He will be joining us in a moment.”

“You… where’s Jerome?”

“That… pathetic waste of life is dead.”

“No… no you’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

    Jeremiah went over to the TV, changing the channel to a news station. You gasped when you saw Jerome’s picture on screen with the words ‘dead’ underneath. You stumbled back till you hit a wall, sliding down, crying.

“No, no, he can’t be… we… we were going…”

“He’s nothing but a disappointment.”

“This… you…”

“Mr. Tetch.”

    Jervis came into the room, he seemed a bit shaken up himself, but calm. You noticed his pocket watch in hand. You stood up.

“No! Not again! Jervis, what are you doing! He’s-”

    Everything went dark before you knew what was happening. You stood still, eyes glazed over. Jeremiah walked over to you, gently caressing your face, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear. He cupped your cheek, your glassy eyes looking up at him.

“You’ll keep your word?” Jervis asked.

“I understand her relationship with you, I won’t interfere. After I make a few modifications you will see her again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry (not sorry)


	9. Chapter 9

You woke up to find yourself in a small room. You sat up from the small bed, nothing the four blank concrete walls. It felt familiar but you didn’t think too much of it, just went for the door. Surprisingly it was open. When you stepped out you recognized where you were. You were back in the maze that was Jeremiah’s home.

You didn’t understand why you were there so you started walking, thinking back. You remembered being at home waiting for Jerome, except he never did. You stopped walking, remembering what you had seen on the TV.

“Mr. Tetch tells me when one wakes from a trance it takes them a moment to remember what happened before they were put under.”

“This is your fault.”

“Is it now?”

“You ruined his life just because you were a coward!” 

You turned around to see Jeremiah. He looked normal, like before, which caught you off guard. He must be wearing makeup of some sort but that didn’t change how you felt. Your emotions were a mix of anger and devastation.

“You should be dead!”

“I disagree.”

You knew it would take a while to find your way out of the maze, but you also knew you weren’t going to let Jeremiah live. The place was small and you had the advantage. You felt the tears sting your eyes then ran at Jeremiah. He smiled, seeming amused.

“Ballerina.”

You slowed down, suddenly feeling yourself going numb. You stood in front of Jeremiah, unable to move.

“What… what did you do?”

“A precaution provided by Mr. Tetch, I knew you would be upset when you awoke and you are quite capable of killing me. I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

“Then… then kill me! You hated your brother, you got what you wanted, so why don’t you add to your revenge and kill the one thing he ever loved!”

“Is that what you think I’m going to do with you?”

“Kill me! Just kill me and let me see Jerome again!”

“Come now.”

He took your hand and lead you back the way you came. All you could do was follow, you had no control over your body, just your thoughts and mouth. You expected him to take you back to the room you woke up in but he lead you somewhere else. It was a slightly bigger room and there were some machines by the bed. He had you sit down.

“What are you going to do… if you’re not going to kill me.”

“Did you know my brother left me a present.”

“No… there were things he didn’t tell me about, and it wasn’t my place to ask.”

“You were quite loyal then, well, he sprayed me with a modified version of his laugh gas, hoping to drive me insane, he failed. All it did was change a few of my physical traits.”

“So you’re wearing makeup then?”

“For now, I have plans to set in motion before revealing myself.”

“Please… just kill me, I don’t want to be without Jerome again.”

“You care for him so deeply and yet he left you, again. What does that say about him?”

“Shut up! You never knew him!”

“I never wanted to, and yet he had the audacity to ask me to do something for him.”

“He… he did?”

“Yes, his present came with a message, he asked me to burn this city and to look after you.”

“He… he planned this then… he wasn’t going to come back!” 

You felt the tears slide down your face, but you couldn’t move your hand to wipe them away. Jeremiah, who had been looking over the machinery in the room heard your sniffles and looked over. He kneeled down and wiped away your tears.

“When I first saw you with Jerome I questioned how someone could ever love him. I was even more surprised to discover your identity. I had heard of you before, quite the medical prodigy, and my brother ruined you.”

“He did not!”

“Oh but he did. This city may have transformed you into a weapon but my brother made you obsolete. You were nothing but another lacky to him weren’t you? He never really took advantage of your true skill set. What did he call you? Doll? It’s fitting since that’s all he ever saw you as.”

“No! No that’s not true!”

“Deny it all you want, it won’t matter. I intend to rise above my brother in every way and to destroy his memory from this city. It will start and end with you.”

“What?”

“I intend to burn this city and look after you, but not in the way my brother imagined. You see y/n, I’m going to fix you.”

“Fix me?”

“Yes. Look at you now, you’re a mess because of Jerome, so if you forgot him you wouldn’t be in pain.”

“No! No you can’t do that! Stop touching me!”

Hearing those words gave you the strength to fight. You shoved Jeremiah back and made your way out the door. Your legs felt numb but you could move them. Of course you didn’t get far, you rounded a corner and got kicked to the ground by Ecco.

“Thank you, Ecco.” Jeremiah looked down at you. “Jervis said you sometimes found the strength to break free of his hypnosis. It took you awhile, but I’m always prepared.”

He got you to your feet, your previous strength now gone, and followed him back to the room. Instead of sitting down this time he tied you down to the bed. It started to feel like you were back in Arkham, back with Strange and his experiments.

“You can’t make me forget Jerome!”

“You know better, you are a doctor after all. I can’t make you forget him in a moment but over time I can. Why don’t you amuse me and tell me how I’m going to do it, all the answers are in this room.”

You sighed but looked around regardless. You hadn’t actually seen any medical stuff in years so it took you a moment to recognize somethings. When you did it was easy to put two and two together.

“Do you have an answer for me?”

“You’re a monster.”

“I guess you don’t know, perhaps I am overestimating your intelligence.”

“You’re going to fry my brain! Give me mild controlled shocks that over time would make me forget things. First I’ll forget the days then weeks and months, excetera, you’ll have me hooked up to a contraption like this till all my memories of Jerome are gone! And with a room like this I’d have no sense of time to try and hold onto!”

“Marvelous intelligence my brother was letting rot away.”

“It won’t work! Memories are one thing but you can’t change my feelings.”

You felt something cold on your head, yanking at the restraints. Jeremiah came into your line of sight, smile on his face.

“I am well aware, but there is a simple solution. Do you want to take a guess?”

“Fuck you!”

“You see, emotions can be redirected. Your mind is quiet capable of filling in the blanks and is most likely to accept whatever it’s told first.”

“You’re going to take his place… in my heart.”

“It will be quiet easy, you’ll be loyal to me, and I promise to make you very happy.”

“Don’t do this… please.”

“I told you I was going to fix you and destroy my brother’s legacy. You loved him the most, you can be said to be the keeper of his legacy, which is why I must destroy your memory of him. Erase him from this city.” He smiled and kissed your head. “I recommend you relax, there’s no point in fighting this.”

“No!” You yanked on the restrains and were met with a shock to your brain. 

“You’ll receive a shock every few minutes for the next sixteen hours, then you’ll eat, we’ll have a little chat then you can rest and we’ll start again when you wake. After a few days I may start instilling a feeling of love in you, for me that is.”

“Don’t you fucken tou-”

Your words were cut short as you were shocked again. You closed your eyes knowing he was right, there was nothing you could do. It was over and you couldn’t help but cry.

“Before you know it, you’ll be very happy.”

You heard the door to the room shut. You tried to think of a way out of it but any coherent thought was eventually cut short. You felt like a traitor, but was it even your fault. Jervis gave you up to Jeremiah, or was this always the plan. Did Jerome think you’d be better off with his brother. You thought back to the last time he was with you, looking back on it now you knew it was true.

He never said goodbye, just that he loved you. He kept you away and even went so far as to getting his brother to look after you. He probably figured that since they were identical twins it wouldn’t take you long to get used to him. You laughed, feeling the tears slide down your cheeks, you were going to miss him.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Despite the efforts of GCPD Gotham still fell. The people were evacuated and the city was left to the villains. Jim had stayed behind, he wasn’t going to let the city fall to ruins and he wasn’t alone in his mission. Out of everyone though he was most concerned about Jeremiah. It was his fault the city was the way it was. After weeks of searching Jim finally had a lead.

He had numerous people confirming an area that Jeremiah was consistently seen around. It was near the edge of what used to be the narrows. Jim went with Harvey, not wanting to be caught off guard if the lead was right. The lead led to an empty house, or so they thought. When they got to the basement they found a trap door that lead to some underground tunnels.

“Fits Jeremiah’s style.” Harv said.

“Agreed.”

The two stayed together while in the tunnels. It seemed like it went nowhere but they came to a bunch of doors. They tried the handles, finding them all locked. Harvey was just about to bust the first one open when they heard a yell. Jim quickly found the door where the noise came from and broke it open. They rushed in with their guns raised only to find you tied down to a bed with electrodes on your head.

“What the hell.”

“Help me untie her Harv.”

Jim removed the electrodes then helped Harv undo the restraints. They got you up but you couldn’t really talk. They focused on getting you out so they took you out the way they came and got you to the station. By then your head was clearer and you were sitting in the captain’s office with Jim and Harv, water in hand.

“Why am I here?” You asked.

“Why? Cause you were locked up and tortured.” Harv said.

“I what?” You grabbed your head.

“Hey, you’re safe now, just breath okay. Do you know where you are now.”

“At the GCPD.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Um, I’ve heard of you before, Jim Gordon. Jerome was trying to kill you and-”

“What? What is it?”

“He’s dead…” 

“Yes.”

“That liar! I’m going to kill that bastard Theo!”

“Wait what?” Harv questioned. “You mean Theo Galavan?”

“Yes! He killed Jerome! I’m going to make him regret ever-”

“Y/n!” Jim cut you off. “Theo Galavan has been dead for months now.”

“What? How?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“I… I was at that event with Jerome, where he had Bruce Wayne hostage… where he was killed, then I was sent to Arkham… did I escape Arkham?”

“Um, it’s complicated, will you give us a moment.”

Jim and Harv stepped out of the office leaving you alone. You grabbed your head, confusion running through you. After a moment you got up and looked around the office finding a calendar, you took note of the date.

“That’s not… what’s going on?”

You then noticed the newspaper on the desk, specifically the one saying Jerome was dead. You grabbed it, reading over the article, none of it making sense to you. You took a moment before you stepped out out of the office.

“I have amnesia.”

“Do you?” Jim asked.

You held up the newspaper. “The date isn’t what I initially thought and the article on Jerome doesn’t make sense to me. I must have amnesia it’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“You really are that smart.” Harv commented.

“How did you guys find me?”

“We were following a lead on Jeremiah, instead we found you tied up and being electrocuted.” Jim said.

“Who’s Jeremiah?”

“Jerome’s twin brother.”

“His what? You know, doesn’t matter, you said I was being electrocuted?”

“Yes.”

“Shit.”

“What?”

“Getting my memories back won’t be easy, it may be impossible. Why was that happening?”

“We don’t-”

Gunfire went off and Jim immediately grabbed you, moving you over to cover. The noise settled down and Jim got up pointing his gun at the perpetrator. In the center of the GCPD Jeremiah stood with armed men around him, many other officers on the ground, others aiming their guns at the intruders.

“Jim, I believe you have something of mine.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Despite being hidden you recognized the voice of the person who Jim was talking too. You jumped up with joy.

“Jerome!”

You quickly regretted it. The person in the GCPD looked like Jerome but was very different. Their face was pale and their eyes, along with their glare, sent shivers down your spine. Although a name did come to mind in the moment.

“Jeremiah…”

He smiled. “Glad to see their is progress.”

“What have you been doing to her?” Jim asked.

“I’m merely making a few modifications.”

“Are you the one who’s messed with my memories?”

“Even in this state you are brilliant.” He seemed in awe. “Now, come my ballerina, your treatment is not yet finished.”

Jeremiah held his hand out towards you. You suddenly felt a bit numb and took a step towards him before Harvey grabbed you and pulled you back. The feeling disappeared and you were felt normal again.

“What are you doing?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s not your fault my dear, you should have never been out.”

“She’s not going anywhere with you Jeremiah, you’re under arrest.”

“Funny, but I’m not laughing.”

A smoke grenade was thrown into the room that went off immediately. Harvey kept his arm on you, pulling you along to the nearest exit. More grenades were thrown in and the GCPD was full of smoke, you couldn’t see anything. You heard Harvey yell and his grip on you slipped. You coughed but kept moving looking for a way out of the building.

You made your way to the back of the building, getting clear of the smoke. You took a moment to catch your breath and when you looked up you realized you weren’t alone. There was a person dressed in a black jester suit before you.

“I guess you’re with Jeremiah then.”

You got no response, but you knew the only way out was through, so you fought. Whoever was in the suit was well trained too as you were pretty much even with them. You focused on the person in front of you that you didn’t notice a third person entering the room. The jester landed a kick to your chest and you stumbled back. You crashed into someone and looked up to see Jeremiah. 

“Hello, my ballerina.”

That numbness from before came back. He helped you steady yourself and took your hand, heading to the back with you, the jester following behind.

“You didn’t hurt her did you Ecco?” 

“No.” The jeser responded.

“What’s going on?” You asked. “Why can’t I move.”

“There’s no point explaining my dear, you won’t remember this. This was all quiet perfect especially since I was going to move you today.”

“What have you been doing to me? Jerome never told me about you.”

“That name… this is one of the last few times you’re lips will say it.”

“What!”

“Quiet now.”

You felt as if your voice was stuck in your throat. All you could do was follow and get into a car with him. It wasn’t long then before things became a blur once again.

♠♥♦♥♦♥♦♥♠

Jeremiah had built another maze like home, had been working on it for years, perhaps it was more of a safe house, but it was home nonetheless. He walked into his study to find you dancing to some of his favorite music. He took your hand and pulled you towards him planting a kiss on your lips. You smiled before he let you get back to your dancing, he took a seat next to Ecco.

“My ballerina.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had fun writing this and I regret nothing.

**Author's Note:**

> I miss my baby Jerome but this story has always been in the back of my mind. Another little self-insert story with Jerome and some future problems with the Mad Hatter and whatever else happens in the season.


End file.
